Hi all,

if you do an online search for the most popular and "hip" travel destinations of 2017 Lanzarote most likely wouldn't be on top of the results. And honestly I was in the same mindset. The only people I know who have been to the Canaries are my grandparents few years back. The reason we went there was mostly the lack of time and options, also the flights from London are a bargain in November.

Today I've been back for about 3 weeks and I'm glad I went on this trip and overcame my prejudices. Lanzarote has so many amazing and seemingly untouched gems waiting to be discovered, far away from mainstream tourism and tour busses. So don't get fooled by online reviews, Lanzarote is a unique and exiting place, only a few hours away from London.

The Canary Islands are a Spanish archipelago just off the northern coast of Africa. The most popular ones are Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria and finally Lanzarote, the most eastern island of the Canaries. According to Wikipedia they are among the outermost regions of the EU. And indeed this becomes very apparent once you start leaving the main cities: All Islands are the reminisces of a volcanic eruption hundreds of years ago. The landscape literally turns into fields of hardened lava.

Walking on lava

Lanzarote's violent past becomes already quite visible when you approach the island's airport. From the air you can clearly see craters and broken up slopes, relicts of massive eruptions in the past. The landscapes are vast and deserted, only under closer inspections revealing signs of nature slowly fighting its way back up through the solidified fields of lava.

The black beaches

One of the most beautiful phenomena happened when over decades the solid lava got washed into the ocean and formed beaches with black sand. The blue ocean, the breaking waves and the black sand create some stunning colours.

Climb the cliffs

It's hard to miss the cliffs overlooking Famara Beach at the most norther end of Lanzarote. Roads are steep and mostly gravel at the ends, but the view is way worth it. Park your car at the Park El Bosquecillo and search for Cueva de Las Cabras, you won't be dissapointed!

Go Surfing

One of the best ways to experience the waves of the Atlantic Ocean it to go surfing. The most popular spot is Famara Beach in the north of Lanzarote. The beach is very safe with moderate waves, lifeguards and surf schools. We rented boards and wetsuits at lanzarotekite just a few hundred meters from the shore, prices are really cheap and staff friendly.

Take a bath

The natural pools are probably one of Lanzarote's best kept secrets, and it took us quite a while to find them. Located at the south of the islands, follow a pretty bumpy dirt road until you see an abandoned building. This used to be a hotel back in the 60s and 70s, there are very few sources on what this place actually is. Today it largely seems like a place for homeless and graffiti artists. We parked our car just outside the building.

We walked through a few holes in the fences and ignored the "Do not enter" warning signs. There's an undeniably weird vibe in the air, and the structure definitely didn't feel safe. So we left on the rear side of the hotel through what used to be courtyard, climbed through another fence and went towards the cliffs.

The pools on the other side are just gorgeous. Carefully climb down the cliffs and make sure the tide is pretty low. Unfortunately when we arrived the tide was already rising again and big waves started to roll over the pools. So we only took a quick bath and snapped a few pictures before climbing back up. The currents are incredibly powerful, so please be careful and always have someone watching the incoming waves.